Perhaps that declaration is premature; Washington still has plenty of work to do and three preseason games left to play, but there is reason for optimism.

"Honestly, every time we leave camp we feel good," left tackle Trent Williams told reporters. "It's always an optimistic feeling leaving camp so I don't know that there was anything different [this time]."

Unlike last summer, this year's training camp was devoid of daily drama. There were no quarterback controversies (despite what some may want you to believe), no major injuries and mostly cooperative weather.

“I never want a media circus or anything like that,” coach Jay Gruden said. “I don’t know what happened last year; I wasn’t here. But everybody’s one the same page as far as what we’re talking about, what we’re doing on the field. There’s no hidden agendas, I don’t think. Hopefully that remains consistent throughout the season, not just in training camp.”

Following a day off, the Redskins will return to their Ashburn headquarters to finish preparing for the regular season, which begins in less than a month. With little to blunt the good vibes emanating from Richmond, the Redskins are confident that they can rebound from a disastrous 3-13 season.

"You always have that optimism, but at the end of the day reality sets in," corner DeAngelo Hall said. "You see the preseason, you see how you're doing in drills and you think, 'We'll probably struggle with this or struggle with that.' With this camp it's been different. You see all the weapons and you see the success we can have and you get excited about it. We can't wait to strap it up for real."